The Fox Chase Center proposes to establish a program of education and skills training in familial cancer risk counseling for community-based oncology nurses.
The specific aim will be to produce a cadre of trained nurses int he community with the skills and experience necessary to conduct cancer risk assessment and counseling and to direct individuals and their families to cancer prevention programs. To achieve this aim, the Population Science Department in conjunction with the Department of Nursing proposes to develop and conduct an intensive training course consisting of: 1) a three-day course of didactic lectures, small group workshops and practice sessions emphasizing the basics of cancer genetics, epidemiologic factors in cancer risk, principles of risk counseling, and cancer control strategies; and 2) a none-day preceptorship in the Family Risk Assessment Clinic for hands on training in risk assessment, counseling and cancer screening. The Familial Cancer Risk Training Course will cover five major content areas; 1) the basics of cancer genetic and familial cancer; 3) the assessment and interpretation of other factors which contribute to familial cancer risk; 3) the principles of effective risk counseling; 4) current and future options for cancer prevention and control, including lifestyle changes, chemoprevention programs, prophylactic surgery and early detection strategies; and 5) an overview of the legal, ethical and social implications of genetic risk testing. The clinical preceptorship in the Family Risk Assessment Clinic will provide students with an opportunity to interview high risk families, obtain extended pedigree information, participate in cancer risk counseling sessions, and assist in screening procedures. The Fox Chase Cancer Center and the Division of Population Science have extensive experience in both human cancer genetics and in cancer control research and practice, and have several NCI peer-reviewed grants supporting research in these areas. The Department of Nursing has a long record of excellence in nursing education and is an approved provider of Nursing Continuing Education Credits. The Fox Chase Network Program places a strong emphasis on extending the late developments in cancer information and technology to practitioners in the community and provide access to a target group of community-based nurses. The training provided by this course will help to alleviate the severe shortage of professionals trained in cancer genetics and risk counseling, and will bring to the community the latest in cancer prevention and control.
| Masny, Agnes; Ropka, Mary E; Peterson, Candace et al. (2008) Mentoring nurses in familial cancer risk assessment and counseling: lessons learned from a formative evaluation. J Genet Couns 17:196-207 |
| Masny, Agnes; Daly, Mary; Ross, Eric et al. (2003) A training course for oncology nurses in familial cancer risk assessment: evaluation of knowledge and practice. J Cancer Educ 18:20-5 |
